Some Good Things Drones Can (Actually) Do

While everyone is freaking out about Amazon's plan to unleash an army of delivery drones on the world, it's important to remember that these flying robots can do much more than just move packages.

As the technology has improved and dramatically dropped in price, people have been coming up with all kinds of crazy and creative uses for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). And, honestly, the sky's the limit (heh) as far as what drones can do. Analysts expect drones to grow into a $10 billion industry in the next three years alone, which means that UAVs will keep getting better.

For now, we've made a nice little list of what drones can do. It's a long list, but surely not exhaustive-so let us know in the comments if we missed anything!

Drones Can... Help Farmers

Farmers have a tough job, but drones can make it easier: they're a great way to do aerial surveys of crops. This way, farmers can see if their irrigation systems are working, how their plants are growing, even see if any of the plants are sick by using infrared technology. Farms are often pretty damn big so the mobility and agility of the drone comes in handy. Sure beats walking.

...Weave Buildings

Here's an unexpected use of drones. A team of researchers at ETH Zurich recently programmed drones to build and weave tensile structures. While the test was relatively simple, the idea of choreographing drones to act as aerial construction workers is pretty fascinating.

...Sell Real Estate

Trying to sell your house? Well, wouldn't it be cool if you could offer potential buyers an aerial view of the property, all dramatic and nice? The real estate industry's all over this idea, and it's becoming increasingly common for property listings to be accompanied by a drone tour. There have been some legal snags-like in Los Angeles, where the LAPD shut down real estate drones-but new legislation is reversing the ban.

...Enable Paparazzi

This is obviously happening. It wasn't long after camera-laden drones hit the market for paparazzi to realize that they're the perfect tool for spying on celebrities. Earlier this year, paparazzi used a drone to clear the walls of a Swiss estate to snap photos of Tina Turner's wedding with Erwin Bach. The police ended up catching the photographer who had been piloting the UAV, but this surely won't be the last incident of a paparazzo getting industrious with drones.

...Fight Crime

Here's where things start to get a little hairy. Police departments across the country are buying drones that they can use for surveillance and related activity. Even the FBI is using them. This obviously stirs up some serious Fourth Amendment concerns and is a hot topic amongst civil liberties advocates like the ACLU. But, for now, cops can do pretty much anything they want with them.

...Guard the Border

Like police, border patrol agencies are making use of this new tool for law enforcement. In fact, drones have been popular with this set for a while. The entire U.S.-Mexico border has been patrolled by drones for the past three years. Now, border control actually wants to arm the drones. Immigration activists are going to love that idea.

...Put Out Wildfires

Speaking of the environment, drones are becoming an incredibly useful tool for firefighters, especially those who have the seemingly impossible task of putting out wildfires. There, the aircraft are used not only for spotting wildfires and gauging their movement; they can actually fight fires now, keeping people out of harm's way. Although there are some hurdles to clear with the FAA, firefighters are optimistic about the future.

...Hunt Wild Animals

Now that some drones cost hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars, hunters are pretty pumped to have an eye in the sky. Some trigger-happy fellows in the South are even outfitting drones with heat-sensing cameras to spot feral pigs. The next step is to strap weapons to the drones so they can kill from the comfort of their own home. Sounds familiar, doesn't it...

...Monitor Wildlife

Oh, hey, a happy story. Drones aren't just being used to kill wildlife; they're also being used to monitor populations of animals in the wild, especially endangered ones. A team of Indonesian scientists, for instance, have been using drones to keep track of a population of endangered Sumatran orangutans by floating above the treetops and watching how the apes are dealing with deforestation. You imagine how many other endangered species could use some help, too.

...Deliver Pizza

Domino's Pizza turned some heads earlier this year when they posted a video of a drone delivering a pizza. The idea was that drones could get the pizza to your house faster so it would be hotter and more delicious. But, seriously, can you imagine any pizza chain buying a fleet of drones to take over its delivery service? How about burritos?

...Deliver Other Stuff, Too

That brings us back to Amazon and its plan to deliver your purchases with drones. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says, "It will work and it will happen, and it's gonna be a lot of fun." But we have our doubts. Nevertheless, UPS followed suit this week and revealed that they, too, were working on a drone delivery system. We've got news for you, though. China's one step ahead of us on this.

...Do Journalism

There's no tool more important for solid reporting than a camera to catch the action as it happens-except maybe a pencil and paper, but that's beside the point. Journalism students across the country are already learning how drones could help them be better reporters, and some reporters are already using the aircraft. Now, if only drones could tweet.

...Inspect Oil Rigs

Offshore oil rigs are notoriously tough to maintain, which is potentially dangerous because Deepwater Horizon. Drones can be a huge help, though, because they can fly into hard-to-reach places. The same goes for monitoring oil fields and pipelines, which can be vast and tough for a human to keep track of.

...Transport Medicine

Picture this: a nonprofit manages to stockpile medicine for people in remote African villages, but they can't get to the remote areas fast enough to save lives. Send in the drones! A company called Matternet is doing just that by building a network for drone-based deliveries to remote areas. It's like Amazon's plan, only altruistic.

...Save Lives

A graduate student from Austria recently took that medicine example to the next level. Stefen Riegebauer devised a system whereby drones could deliver defibrillators to heart attack victims much faster than it would take an ambulance to get there. It's kind of out there and concept-y, but the idea of drone-based EMTs is interesting.

...Entertain Nerds

All that said, there's a very simple and pretty damn neat use for drones: flying them. Like the remote-controlled airplane enthusiasts of yesteryear, a new generation of hobbyists is finding simple bliss in getting quadcopters and other drones airborne and making pretty videos. We've tried it. It really is super fun.

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Ten Most Stunning Architectural Wonders in India

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of 10

Taj-Mahal,-Agra,-Uttar-Pradesh

The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world, so
it is no surprise that it headlines this list. This mausoleum was built in the
17th century by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan over a span of 22 years, as a tribute
for his beloved wife Mumtaz. The Indo-Islamic and Hindu architectural style has
been used for this monument of love. The famous white marble dome rests on
massive white marble terraces and is flanked on either side like sentinels by
four tapering minarets. The jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the deceased queen rests
within the dome.

Galden-Namgey-Lhatse,-Tawang,-Arunachal-Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang Monastery in the valley of the
Tawang-chu, is the largest in India. It is quite close to the Tibetan border
and was founded in accordance to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. The
spectacular monastery, also called as Galden Namgey Lhatse in Tibetan
translates to ‘Celestial paradise in a clear night.’ And what a celestial
paradise it is!

Nalanda-Ruins,-Nalanda,-Bihar

Nalanda has been long heralded as the primary ancient center
of higher learning in India. The University of Nalanda is situated in the
Indian state of Bihar, used to be a Buddhist center of learning. Legend has it,
that the great library of Nalanda University was so extensive, that after
invaders ransacked and set fire to it, it is believed to have burned for three
months.

Ruins-of-Vijaynagar-Empire,-Hampi,-Karnataka

The magnificent Group of Monuments at Hampi in state of
Karnataka is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are 56 musical
pillars in the Vithala temple complex at Hampi, which have been constructed in
such a manner, that when they are struck, each one emits a unique musical tone.
The main centre of pilgrimage at Hampi is the Virupaksha temple, the site of the
ancient city of Vijaynagar, which dates back to the first half of the fifteenth
century. It consists of three towers that are nine tiered and rise to a height
of 160 feet.

The-Iron-Pillar,-Delhi

The Iron pillar of Delhi dates all the way back to the 4th
century A.D., and highlights ancient India’s accomplishments in metallurgy. One
the pillar, one can find Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script, which tells the
story of how it was erected in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II and
in the honor of the Hindu god, Vishnu. This unique pillar is made of 98 percent
wrought iron and has truly stood the test of time, without decomposing or
rusting for more than 1600 years. The Iron pillar stands 7 meters tall, 17
inches wide at the base and 12 inches wide at the top.

Sun-Temple,-Konark,-Odisha

The Surya mandir of Konark is famous for its richness and intricacy
of its sculptural work and for its architectural grandeur. Derived from the
words Kona (Corner) and Arka (Sun), the entire temple has been constructed to
resemble a chariot of the sun god, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings,
and 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in
diameter. The entry to the temple is guarded by two massive lions, and the
seven horses appear to be dragging the temple.

Ajanta-&-Ellora-Caves,-Aurangabad,-Maharashtra

The Ajanta and Ellora caves are representative of the
prowess of the ancient Indian painters and sculptors. The thirty Ajanta Caves
were constructed in 2nd century BC, with paintings on religious themes surrounding
Buddha. The Ellora caves are rock-cut shrines that represent three different
faiths, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is famous for its intricate
workmanship, striking proportion, sculptural embellishment and architectural
content. Both caves have been named as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are
symbolic of India’s ancient architectural grandeur.

Golden-Temple,-Amritsar,-Punjab

The Harmandir Sahib, also known colloquially as the
"Golden Temple", is a Sikh Gurdwara situated in the city of Amritsar,
Punjab. Constructed in Sikh architecture style, this exquisite temple is
intricately designed and from pure gold. The temple is built on a 67 feet
square platform, right in the middle of the sarovar and has doors facing all
four directions – North, South, East and West. Visiting the Golden Temple
during sunrise or sunset is truly a life-changing experience that one should
experience at least once in their lifetime.

Fatehpur-Sikri,-Agra,-Uttar-Pradesh

Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was built in the 16th
century by the Emperor Akbar and was the capital of the Mughal Empire back in
the day. This breathtaking building of Mughal design, which translates to the ‘City
of Victory’, amalgamates Hindu, Islamic and Buddhist elements to create
something truly unique. The stunning courtyards in the building lead to a
monolithic mosque, a drum house, the spectacular Gateway of Triumph, a tomb and
a 5-story palace.

Chhatrapati-Shivaji-Terminus,-Mumbai

The Chhatrapati Shivaji train station, earlier known as
Victoria Terminus, was constructed in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of
Queen Victoria. This magnificent structure has been created in the Victorian
Gothic style by F.W Stevens, with neo-Gothic features embellishing the exterior
and interior.

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